1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to inhibition of body odor, and more particularly to a method involving topical application of a deodorant-active material for bringing about such inhibition.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As is well known, the mechanism of formation of the most common type of body odor is based upon the action of microorganisms on apocrine sweat. As a consequence of this mechanism there are in wide commercial use today in the over-the-counter toiletries and cosmetics category two types of products that inhibit body odor, deodorants and antiperspirants, the latter group also occasionally referred to as antiperspirant/deodorants. The former group is meant to include products containing an active material which inhibits the growth of microorganisms present on the skin and thereby prevents their action on sweat to produce odoriferous substances. The latter group is meant to include products which contain materials that inhibit sweating in the first place. For various reasons, such as aesthetic preference, sensitivity to certain astringent antiperspirants salts, etc., individual consumers who wish to use a product in this board category may prefer one or the other type. The present invention has to do with improvements in deodorants.
Although a number of deodorant-active materials have been used in the past in the formulation of personal deodorant products, for many years the most widely used such material was hexachlorophene, possibly the most efficacious topical deodorant then available. However, as is well known, about a decade ago a previously unrecognized toxicity problem with hexachlorophene was identified, and non-prescription use of this material had to be severely restricted. Fortunately other deodorant-active materials were available, among which mention may be made of benzethonium chloride, triclosan, etc., and industry had adapted by substituting these and others in various products which formerly used hexachlorophene. However it was perceived by many that the substitute materials did not necessarily provide parity performance. Consequently the search for safe and effective materials with improved deodorant activity has continued.
Since, as has been mentioned previously, the deodorant-active materials under consideration act by inhibiting the growth of microorganisms on the skin, it would initially appear that any good antimicrobial should be effective as a deodorant. In fact, however, no correlation has been observed, i.e., while known deodorants also have good antimicrobial properties, it does not follow that good antimicrobials will be effective as deodorants. For example the following materials, all antimicrobials, were tested for deodorant activity according to the test procedures reported hereinafter for the present invention, and no improvement over currently available materials was observed and in some cases no deodorant activity at all: hydrogen peroxide, chlorhexidine, triacetin, and 3-(trimethoxysilyl)-propyloctadecyldimethyl ammonium chloride (Dow-Corning, Q9-5700). The unpredictability of deodorant activity is especially to be noted in the case of chlorhexidine, which contains biguanide function similar to the improved deodorant of the present invention. Other workers have also noted this poor correlation between antimicrobial activity and deodorant activity; see, for example, Dravnieks, Krotoszynski, Lieb, and Jungermann, "Influence of an Antibacterial Soap on Various Effluents from Axillae," J. Soc. Cosmetic Chemists, 19, 611-626 (1968) and Cowen, "Relative Merits of `In Use` and Laboratory Methods for the Ealuation of Antimicrobial Products," J. Soc. Cosmetic Chemists, 25, 307-323 (1974).